Extra Time With Maceo Plex

Last year, Mosaic by Maceo Plex became one of the island’s break-out residencies, adding an edgy underground concept to Pacha Ibiza’s glamorous party offering. While the announcement raised some eyebrows at the time, the techno night has enjoyed huge success and has established itself as one of Ibiza’s most credible parties over the course of two short seasons. In fact, Mosaic has proven so popular it extended its summer 2017 run, which culminated in one final fiesta last night at the legendary home of the twin cherries.

After having the likes of Recondite, Henrik Schwarz , Len Faki and Silent Servant join him over the course of the season, for the 2017 closing the US producer and DJ invited German techno artist and Berghain resident Ben Klock to help him bring the shutters down on another epic Ibicencan summer. A key figure of Berlin’s modern techno movement and famed for his immersive and intense sets, it was another masterful selection for Mosaic’s expertly curated roster of cutting-edge turntable talent.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a booming bassline that was throbbing through the air. Stepping into the dark, neon-lit cave of the Mosaic universe, we made our way through the throng of clubbers already letting lose on the dance floor. As is tradition, Maceo Plex and his guest were playing on ground floor level rather than the elevated stage some of the international master mixers prefer, giving revellers the chance to come up close to their musical heroes. With Ben Klock in the booth, the dance floor was busy as he created his deep and mysterious soundscapes.

Using distorted vocals and throbbing basslines to create a sense of intensity, he picked up the pace as his set progressed, with the beats raining down thick and fast on the bustling club. Pacha’s fierce dancers were clad in theatrical and otherworldly costumes that wouldn’t look amiss in a Tim Burton movie, and, throwing their shapes on pedestals across the room, were giving the dark and foggy room an eerie and fantastical edge.

Halfway through the night, Maceo Plex stepped up to join Klock behind the decks for a B2B session that sent the crowd crazy, enthusiastically greeting their host with cheers and a thundering round of applause. Having watched his predecessor from the booth, clapping and dancing along, it was obvious that he couldn’t wait to get involved, immediately upping the tempo with a galloping bassline and energetic track selection. The effect was only heightened by Mosaic’s kinetic light installations, neon and monochrome geometrical shapes that were lowered from the ceiling in a whirlwind of flashing lights.

With the two techno giants taking it in turns to select tunes, the audience of music connoisseurs was being treated to an immense session of no frills techno. The bass, at times, was so powerful, it made the hairs on our arms stand up as it electrified the air. Tracks like Technik by Zoo Brazil, Koba by Boy Next Door, Ryan James Ford’s Salmo and Romance by Fluxx & Lola whipped the crowd into a frenzy, with clubbers wildly cheering and whistling and throwing their hands in the air in approval. It was a fitting finale for a concept that has won a legion of international fans based simply on the quality of the music and the ability of the DJs to connect with their audience, creating a music experience of pure class that is based around the love of techno.